The Pianist; Gender Titles

[Fred Blumenthal <xd2fabl...>]

A recent post (or some recent posts) wondered about Mr. Szpilman's ability 
to remain in Poland after the Holocaust.  I was able to read the review of 
this movie in The New Yorker last night, and the critic wrote that Mr. S. 
proceeded through the whole experience as if in a trance, concentrating on 
the music, escaping death through others' actions more than his own, and 
at the end of the movie smiling while playing Chopin.  Apparently everyone 
who went through that experience had enormous reactions to it, but the 
reactions vary enormously.  Another musician who survived while playing in 
and even directing the inmate orchestra at Auschwitz was Simon Lacks, who 
wrote of his experiences in "Music of Another World."

With regard to a gender-neutral language that replaces "manhole," etc.: 
I've long advocated replacing "Mr." and "Ms." with "M.," but not an 
abbreviation of the French "Monsieur."  Then everyone would sound like a 
question.

Fred Blumenthal
xd2fabl (at) us(dot)ibm(dot)com